Baked Sweet Potato Surprise

This cheesy and comforting baked sweet potato casserole is a winner! Sweet potatoes are all the rage at the moment for being delicious and nutritious.

And the best part is that this casserole is is super easy to make and won’t break the bank!

Sweet potatoes: A nutritional powerhouse

Adding sweet potatoes to your diet is an easy — and naturally sweet — way to eat healthy. The humble vegetable can be classified as a superfood, packed with vitamins A and C,  beta-carotene and potassium. It is also a good source of fibre.

On top of this, sweet potatoes are very versatile and baking them in the oven is one of the simplest ways to prepare them.

Baked sweet potato casserole makes great comfort food side

The recipe for this casserole marries the goodness of butter, milk, cheddar cheese with a hint of thyme for a hearty side dish which are sure to be the talk of the table.

One can add to this savoury spin on sweet potatoes with some bits of diced bacon before baking it to cheesy perfection.

Chef’s tip

This recipe is a time-saver in that one does not have to peel the sweet potatoes. This way you will also get a few extra nutrients in your sweet spuds.  

However, a sweet potato bake with a gritty texture is a big culinary “no”, so make sure to wash the potatoes and scrub the skins lightly to get rid of any excess dirt.

Store sweet potatoes just as you would regular potatoes — in a cool, dark place for up to two weeks.

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Baked Sweet Potato Surprise

This comforting sweet potato bake is easy enough for weeknight dinners despite being worthy of a special occasion side!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Global

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 43 minutes minutes

Author Irene Muller

Ingredients

• 6 medium, washed and not peeled sweet potatoes 
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese freshly grated
• fresh thyme
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180°C / 356°F.
• Grease an oven dish with butter or nonstick spray.
• Slice the sweet potatoes thinly with the peel on.
• In a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat, add the butter and melt.
• Whisk in the flour and slowly whisk in the milk.
• Add in the cheese and mix until cheese is melted. Set aside.
• Layer the bottom of an oven dish with half of the sweet potatoes, sprinkle with thyme and seasoning. Layer the remaining sliced sweet potatoes, season and cover with the remaining cheese sauce.
• (Add more milk to the sauce if it is too thick.) Bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

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